Faith To Go Podcast: Light in the Darkness
Hosted each week by the Faith Formation team at St. Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Jackie Pippin, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your conversations throughout the week.
Activity Time: Finding Jesus in Christmas
Supplies: wrapping paper, trash bag, baby Jesus (Doll or picture)
Divide the children into two groups. Have two trash bags filled with used wrapping paper with a small "baby Jesus" hidden among the wrapping paper in the bag. Tell the teams that their task is to try to FIND JESUS in the wrappings. Time each group to see which group finds Jesus first. After each group has found Jesus, remind the children that we must be careful that Jesus is not lost in all the wrappings of Christmas.
Activity from Sermons4Kids
Story Time: Gospel Reading and Reflection
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) I wonder what was in the beginning.
2) I wonder if the Word was good.
3) I wonder what the Word is.
4) I wonder how we know the Word is good.
5) I wonder how we learn about the word.
Dinner Time: Christ is Born!
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer-
Christ is born!
Praises to our Creator God,
who became flesh for us most fully in Jesus, the Incarnate Word
To become one of us, human, yet divine.
Christ is born!
My heart sings that the time of waiting is over.
The light has overcome the darkness as
The true gift from God has arrived.
Christ is born!
Praises to our Creator God, who is as close as the love that binds us,
one to another,
Filling us with awe and wonder at such miracles.
Christ is born!
Help us to live the joy of Jesus’ birth this and every day,
Knowing that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us
Guiding us to be his witnesses in all that we say and do
Throughout the year.
Christ is born!
Questions:
I wonder what John told people.
I wonder what it means that Jesus is the light.
I wonder how light shines in the darkness.
I wonder what it means that we have received grace upon grace.
I wonder how you have experienced Jesus in your life.
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
John 1:1-18
Before there was anything, there was the Word, with God and in God. The Word was God! Everything there ever was in the whole universe came to life through the Word. In fact, there’s nothing that the Word didn’t make.
Life came into being through him. That life lights up for all people to see. It shines in the darkness, and as you know, darkness cannot put out light.
John the Baptist was a man of God. He understood that Jesus was light, and that Jesus was coming to be our savior. Some people didn’t recognize that, but those who did, who let him shine his light into their hearts, had the power to become God’s children.
All the Word actually become one of us, and lived here on earth with us. You and I have seen his glory, and he is filled with grace and truth.
John cried out in the desert, pointing to Jesus and saying, “He’s the One. He’s the One I’ve been talking about!”
Because Jesus is filled with grace, all of us have more than our share of grace. In fact, we have been given grace upon grace upon grace. And even more grace than that.
The law given to Moses served its purpose; now grace and truth is serving its purpose through Jesus Christ. No one knows what God the Father looks life. Jesus, God’s only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, is the one who makes God the Father known to us.
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: